The present invention relates to Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Systems utilizing foam block forms or other forms made of other comparable materials and, more particularly, to improvements to the ICF panels, the interlocking connection means associated therewith, and to the tooling to produce the same thereby achieving product modularity with respect to ICF block forms having different heights and widths.
Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Systems are well known in the industry and serve to both contain fluid concrete while it solidifies and provide insulation for the finished structure. Such systems utilize a plurality of individual units, panels or blocks aligned horizontally and vertically in an interlocking arrangement to create forms for concrete walls. Each block comprises a pair of panels which are retained in a spaced relationship parallel to each other through the use of a plurality of spacing or connecting tie members. As the ICF blocks are stacked, steel rebar rods are inserted at proper longitudinal and vertical integrals as in the conventional forming of a concrete wall.
There are a wide variety of different ICF systems presently available on the market, all of which are used to construct concrete walls. Some ICF systems utilize prefabricated block forms in which opposing flanges of each tie member are molded into the respective opposing walls or panels forming the block. In some prior art designs, the web portion extending between the opposed flanges of the tie are fixed relative thereto, and in some embodiments, the web portion of each respective tie member is hinged so as to allow the ICF block to be folded into a collapsed condition for transportation and storage. In still other embodiments, the ICF system is designed for field installation and the intermediate web portion associated with each respective tie member is slidably engageable with the opposed flanges of each respective tie member which are molded into the opposing walls or panels of each respective block. Once a particular wall or structure is formed using a particular ICF system, the wall or structure is braced and poured full with fluid concrete. The result is a highly energy efficient, steel reinforced, easy to construct concrete wall having a layer of foam or other comparable material on each side of the concrete which serves as further insulation for the completed wall. The tie members which hold the ICF blocks together during the forming and pouring process also serve as furring strips for the attachment of interior (drywall) and exterior finishes.
Because the construction of each building structure is different and unique unto itself, and because of the specific needs of the building and construction industry, it is necessary to provide ICF blocks in a wide variety of different heights, widths and types including such types as straight forms, 90° and 45° corner forms, tapered top forms, ledge forms, T-wall forms, and many more. Although many different types of ICF systems are offered in the marketplace, the preassembled flat wall ICF system dominates the marketplace. In this regard, most of the major ICF companies offer five different widths and one height of ICF blocks to accommodate various construction needs. As a result, as the width of the respective ICF blocks change, so does the size and shape of the respective connecting tie members. If you wanted to also change the height of the respective blocks, not only does the size and shape of the connecting tie members change, but the size of the block panels likewise changes. All of these changes in block height and width also require tooling changes to produce the many different variations in ICF block heights and widths.
Due to the high capital costs required to make the molding tools for both the tie members and the ICF blocks in multiple widths, ICF companies have not been able to offer a more modular system that offers a standard line of ICF blocks in multiple heights as well as multiple widths. Currently, besides being costly, the ICF tools which are used to form the connecting tie members and the opposed block panels are extremely inflexible in their design, use and implementation. As a result, each different height of ICF block requires a different ICF tool for both forming the opposed foam panels of each respective block and for forming the connecting tie members associated therewith. The same is likewise true with respect to each different width of ICF block. In this regard, a separate plastic injection tie tool must also be purchased for each plastic tie used in a particular ICF block depending upon the width and height involved. If five different widths of tie members are used in one height of a particular ICF block, five different plastic injection tie tools must be used in order to make five different widths in one height. As a result, once a particular ICF tool is hung for use, it can only make one type of block, for example, a straight block in only one width. If a user needs an 11-inch straight block, an ICF company must hang its 11-inch wide straight tool of one particular height and it will then make 11-inch wide straight blocks of one particular height. When 13-inch wide straight blocks are needed, the 11-inch wide straight tool must be taken down and the 13-inch wide tool is hung. This process occurs every time a different type of block of a specific width needs to be produced.
As the height of each ICF block changes, so does its tooling requirements. The height of each ICF block requires a different size tool cavity for each different height. Having to switch out tools in this matter is time consuming and costly for two reasons. First, it currently takes most ICF manufacturers an average of several hours to unload one ICF block tool and hang another tool. This reduces the number of ICF blocks that can be produced in a particular day on a particular machine and therefore increases the respective costs of those blocks actually made. Secondly, each ICF block tool that is hung can only make a certain number of ICF blocks in each forming cycle. Tools made only a couple of years ago were made to run on smaller machines and therefore have fewer cavities. Most existing ICF block tools have only two cavities. Increasing the number of cavities in each respective tool likewise increases productivity and reduces cost as more blocks can be made within the same forming cycle. As a result, because of the costs involved in purchasing all of the various tooling for providing a full line of ICF products having different widths and heights, most ICF manufacturers only provide the most common and highest volume ICF block widths and heights.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved fully integrated ICF system which would reduce the number of tools required to form a plurality of different ICF blocks having both different widths and different heights, which would promote modularity between the different types, widths and heights of ICF blocks such that the same connecting tie members can be used for all variations thereof, and which improves the efficiency and flexibility in the ICF manufacturing process. It is also desirable to provide improved connecting tie members which are both modular and foldable such that the same basic tie member can be used in a single tool to make ICF blocks of varying heights and widths and such that all of the various ICF block embodiments can fold flat for packaging, storage, shipping, sight storage and sight staging. Other additional improvements to the overall ICF block and tie design are likewise desirable to improve the stacking and engaging features of the respective ICF blocks as they are stacked vertically and horizontally to construct different types of concrete walls. Still further, it is also desirable to provide ICF tools capable of producing ICF blocks having varying widths and heights.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above, and will enable an ICF manufacturer to go from making 18 to 20 standard ICF blocks to offering an integrated ICF product line of more than 160 different preassembled folding and field assembled ICF block configurations.